


Inside Job

by sushislvt



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Friends to Lovers, Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Office, Partners to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:01:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27787933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushislvt/pseuds/sushislvt
Summary: Six years later, Ladybug and Chat Noir are still Paris' residential heroes. What will their next move be when they finally come up with a strong lead about Hawkmoth's true identity?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. A New Approach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir brainstorm possibilities about Hawkmoth's identity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a sudden surge of motivation to write even though I'm failing half my classes haha whoops anyways hope you guys enjoy :) Also, I kept Master Fu in the story because I hated how season 3 ended lol

"I can't help but feel like we've been going about this all _wrong_." sighed Ladybug as she pondered their current situation.

"I know what you're getting at, m'lady, but what do you suggest we do differently? It's not like we have any new leads lately, and nothings really changed over the past six years." replied Chat, looking up at the sky quizzically. 

The two heroes sighed in unison as they lounged atop the Eiffel Tower, staring down at the tourists exploring Paris. Over the past six years, the duo had successfully fended off countless akuma attacks, as well as held their own against the single person pulling all the strings from behind the scenes, who occasionally made an appearance when things didn't look so promising for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Of course, they always managed to squeeze their way out of a tricky situation, nearly apprehending the villain Hawkmoth each time, but unfortunately for Paris, he always had a knack for pulling an elaborate escape in the nick of time. 

However, although their bond had strengthened over the years, each heroes' true identity still remained a mystery, and Hawkmoth was no exception. The villain's identity still alluded the miraculous holders, and it had become the foundation of their ever-growing stress, as well as setting a tone of slight unease upon the people of Paris. Evidently, it was for that reason exactly that Ladybug and Chat Noir were currently complaining about the matter. 

"I just feel like if we really made an effort, we could have some theories? Possibly? I can't believe all this time has gone by and we still can't figure it out. It irks me all the time! I can hardly ever focus in my classes anymore!" complained Ladybug, groaning as she leaned back against the hot metal of the structure. 

"Hey! I know! How about we just spend an hour writing down everything we know about Hawkmoth, from his behavior to the people he's akumitized, and see if that dumbs it down for us! There has to be some sort of slip up he's made, right? Then we can easily exploit it." smiled Chat proudly, pointing his finger in the air as if he had just made a new scientific discovery. 

"You make it sound _so_ easy, Chat." she retorted back sarcastically. "But, all in all, it's not a terrible idea. Are you free later this afternoon? We could meet up then. I'll even bring some food and a whiteboard." Ladybug smirked as she positioned her yoyo towards her apartment. "Meet me on top of Montparnasse Tower in 3 hours? I'll see you then." 

"Yeah, yeah, alright, I'll see you later, bye Bugaboo." Chat laughed.

* * *

"Arghhhhhhh! This is just so frustrating Tikki!" yelled Marinette as she slid back into her apartment window as her transformation released. 

"Just calm down, Marinette! I'm sure you and Chat Noir can come up with some ideas. Try not to let it bother you until then!" reasoned Tikki in her attempt to politely make Marinette chill out.

Marinette swiftly fell face first on to her bed while simultaneously screaming into her pillow, trying to get her anger out. Once she had, Marinette flipped over, exasperated, and stared at her ceiling. As her mind cleared, she glanced over at her unfinished dress, which was just another thing to be anxious about. Between her college courses and swinging throughout Paris, her time was pretty limited. Still her apartment was surprisingly spacious enough to fit multiple works-in-progress at once, so she managed. 

Even though Marinette was far from rich, she had somehow saved up enough money over four years to afford a reasonably large apartment, consisting of the entire top floor of her building. From the money she made by working long shifts in her parent's bakery, combined with several hundred personalized clothing commissions, she had been smart about spending, preparing for the day she started college and would finally move out of her parent's residence. Since her double life required her to leave her home at a moments notice, (in costume, of course) she would need a place where she wouldn't be seen leaving at odd hours of the night as Ladybug. 

The apartment was similar to her old room, in the sense that it also had a ladder which led to the roof of the building. It was one of the main selling points of the place, and the way it had an ample amount of space didn't hurt either. Of course, it was farther from her campus then she would've preferred, but she still loved where she lived. 

"Oh, right. I should probably get ready for my brainstorming session with Chat, I'll swing by my parent's bakery before and pick up a few things beforehand. What do you think Tikki?" she asked.

"I think that's a great idea Marinette! I'm sure he'll appreciate it!" encouraged Tikki.

Marinette cocked her head towards her clock, calculating the amount of time she had left until she had to depart. 2:30pm. _I should probably leave for my parent's bakery now,_ she thought. 

Marinette heard the familiar sound of a bell ringing as she entered her parents' bakery, the smell of freshly baked goods flooding her senses. 

"Hi Maman, Hi Papa!" chimed Marinette as she greeted her parents with a wide smile.

"Marinette! What brings you here?" boomed her father, Tom Dupain, from the back kitchen.

"I'm just here to pick up some croissants, I'm meeting a friend from school later. How many do you have left?" Marinette questioned.

"Oh honey, you came here just in time! We just finished making a new batch. Take as many as you need!" gushed Sabine.

"Thanks Maman! I'll see you later!" called out Marinette as she grabbed several croissants, carefully placing them into a paper bag and rushing out the door.

 _If I don't hurry up, I'll defiantly be late. Then Chat would have a reason to taunt me for at least a good ten minutes._ Marinette thought as she picked an empty alleyway to transform.

"Tikki, Spots on!" she called out while sparkles engulfed her body, transforming her into her alter ego. She bounded across the rooftops towards Montparnasse Tower, a paper bag clutched in her left hand.

* * *

"Maybe he runs his own plumbing empire to support his five pet chinchillas." wondered Chat out loud.

"I know you aren't being serious, but at times like this, I can hardly resist smacking you upside the head." stated Ladybug, rolling her eyes so hard that it was a miracle they hadn't become stuck that way.

They both began studying the whiteboard Ladybug had provided, accompanied by two expo markers, one red and one green. They each had different colors, so it was easier to differentiate the opposing theories. Then, suddenly, Ladybug recalled an event from years ago, remembering the strange incident.

"Well, I'm aware we ruled this possibility out when we were younger, but it still feels out of place to me. Like something just never felt right about the whole thing, you know?" Ladybug said, her mind racing, trying to piece the old memory together.

"What are you talking about?" replied Chat, "And how do you remember stuff from so long ago? I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday." He mumbled, chewing on a croissant. 

"The Gabriel Agreste incident. Do you remember?" she asked, still deep in thought.

Chat immediately spit his croissant out, flakes flying everywhere. "Uh, yeah, I might vaguely remember that. What about it stands out to you?" he pressed, anxious about the explanation that awaited him. 

"Well, the book about the miraculous, right? I heard his explanation, and he said he found it while vacationing in Tibet with his wife. Of course, Master Fu said he dropped the book while fleeing the temple of miraculous guardians, along with the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous. So, what I'm getting at is, why would Gabriel have only discovered the book, and not the missing miraculous? Think about it. If both items were relatively in the same vicinity, wouldn't he have searched for more discarded items, after recovering the book? Shouldn't he have easily found the miraculous? Also, while he was akumitized, Hawkmoth's signature Butterfly emblem never once appeared on his face, which means he wasn't feeding him commands for the entirety of the battle, which is extremely out of character for Hawkmoth. Not to mention, while we were trying to protect Gabriel from Simon Says, he was oddly interested in my earrings, even going so far as to reach out in an attempt to touch them." she rambled on, the gears spinning within her mind. 

Chat knew it was a plausible theory, but he didn't _want_ to imagine his father as the villain who had been tormenting Paris all this time. His father had often been cold and distant towards him, his own son, but that didn't make him evil. Right? Surely there had to be a reasonable explanation, one that made more sense. 

"It's possible." Chat reluctantly encouraged, hoping it was a dead end.

"Hmm.." Ladybug said as she erased the whiteboard, disposing of the random guesses they had jotted down over the past hour.

"Alright, I'm making a list of reasons it could be him. It will mostly consist of suspicious activities, behavioral analysis, and possible motives." she firmly stated, now confident in her hypothesis. 

* * *

Ladybug stumbled back, her eyes widening. The similarities were too apart to ignore. More importantly, how had she not made the connections before? How could she have been so **blind**? (Oh, the irony) 

"Hey, Chat, are you seeing this?" she said, her eyes still not capable of blinking.

Chat studied the whiteboard intently, as if he was looking for a reason to disagree. Finding none, he shakily sighed, disappointed, and gave in.

"Yeah, it all adds up. This is probably the strongest lead we've ever had, honestly." he replied.

"Well, we sill don't have anything remotely incriminating, so it's not like we can stalk his every move. It just feels wrong." Ladybug said. "We're going to need a solid plan. Most likely a long term one, and not too flashy. Something that won't raise suspicion, but also something that can get us involved enough with his affairs." 

Their eyes met, both thinking the same thing. "We're going to need,"

"Someone on the inside." Chat finished.

"Exactly. We're both well aware Gabriel runs a highly successful fashion empire, partly since his son was born with such good looks." Ladybug stated as Chat blushed slightly, which received an eyebrow raise from Ladybug. "Anyways, we should have people working for him, while simultaneously feeding us information. We should each have someone different hired, so we can compare different points of view, as well as receive double the information." she reasoned, already formulating a solid plan.

 _Well, I won't have to worry about that, since I already hold a high portion within the company,_ Chat thought to himself.

Both the heroes jumped as their miraculous chirped, the signal that they needed to get going. Ladybug grabbed her whiteboard and markers, preparing to leave.

"We'll talk about this more tomorrow, chaton. See you later!" Ladybug said, ringing his bell and soaring away.

"Sure. Right. Tomorrow. See you then.'' Chat called out, waiting until she was out of sight, so he could crumple to the floor and let out a long sigh. As much as he resented his father, he was still determined to prove his innocence. Call him bias, but he did have hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter coming soon, I won't have a regular posting schedule though


	2. Putting the Plan into Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette applies for an internship at "Gabriel"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for updating this so late haha i lost my motivation for this story but i'm back !  
> life update: still failing half my classes and my cousin had a seizure in the mcdonalds drive thru  
> other works update: thank you guys SO SO much for (currently) 96 kudos on my yin & yang one shot!! i'm so insanely grateful <3  
> anyways hope you enjoy this chapter !! let me know ur opinion in the comments (positive or negative- just be nice please!)

"I don't know if your schedule can handle anymore commitments, Marinette! You already have trouble managing your time already, adding this will just make your life harder than it needs to be!" Tikki protested.

"It's just the most convenient option, Tikki! I can't risk messing this plan up. It _needs_ to be done right, and there's no room for error. Plus, I'm the only person I can trust who's into fashion. I can't just ask one of my friends to apply for an internship at _Gabriel_ , how suspicious is that?" Marinette replied, making a show of all her strong points with each of her fingers. 

"Okay, well, what about Chat Noir? You know you have to let him know who you're sending in. It could jeopardize your civilian identity!" Tikki all but yelled, intent on changing Marinette's mind.

"He knows I'm familiar with Marinette, it won't come as a shock. Don't you remember the Evilistrator? Marinette is obviously the most inconspicuous choice." she smirked, reveling in her victory. 

Tikki looked at her with contempt, but the look vanished as a few seconds, seeing as Marinette's case was superior. 

"Oh, all right. You win. But still, you need to be careful. You can't let him think that Marinette knows who Ladybug is out of costume, that's _way_ too risky." Tikki compromised. 

"Okay, deal. Shit, we said we'd talk again tomorrow, but we never decided on a specific time. Should I just transform really quick and text him on my BugPhone?" Marinette wondered out loud, half talking to herself, half asking Tikki for her opinion. 

"Transform now and see if he's already out and about. If he isn't, just send him a message telling him to meet you on the Eiffel Tower later." Tikki replied.

Nodding in agreement, Marinette quickly transformed and opened her BugPhone up. Seeing that Chat Noir was already online, her eyebrow cocked up in surprise, pondering what he was doing. She pulled up his location and made her way towards him, only to find him stretched out on a random rooftop _taking a nap_. After landing softly next to him, she leaned over and flicked his bell. He stirred, but still remain fast asleep.

Naturally, Ladybug decided to take a more... _aggressive_ approach. She gently picked him up- bride style, of course, and mustered all of her strength, chucking him upwards through the air. He woke up mid-fall, eyes widening in shock as he plummeted towards the rooftop. He swiftly grabbed his baton, utilizing it to stick the landing. 

Chat glared at Ladybug, (who was stifling a laugh) and yawned, sitting back down on the concrete. 

"What's so important that I had to be awoken from my daily cat nap?" Chat pouted.

"First of all- why are you sleeping on the job Chat? You could've detransformed and exposed your identity!" Ladybug scolded.

"Aw, don't be like that m'lady, you know I take this job very seriously." he replied, a smile playing at his lips.

"Right. Anyways, did you ask someone about applying at _Gabriel_?" Ladybug asked, pushing aside his antics.

"Well, the thing is, let's say, hypothetically speaking, I knew somebody who already works there. Does that count?" he asked, suddenly serious.

"Even better. They already have a layout of the company dynamics, and they're probably trusted by some coworkers. The only tricky thing is making sure they're loyal and don't let our suspicions slip out. Who is it?" she asked.

"Err.. possibly.. Adrien Agreste?" he said apprehensively.

"ADREIN AGRESTE? GABRIEL'S SON?" Ladybug screamed, immediately covering her mouth.

Chat looked at her questioningly, replying, "Yeah, so what?"

"His father _runs the company_. Don't you think he would say something?" 

"Why would he? I trust him, he wouldn't snitch on us, mostly because he thinks the whole idea is crazy and he wants to prove us wrong. But he won't say anything, cat's honor."

"Okay, maybe. It would be convenient to have someone higher up help out."

"Exactly. So, who did you ask?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG?" 

"And what about her? She's very talented in the fashion scheme of things. Plus, she's very clever and resourceful, she's helped me solve countless problems I've had. Do you have a problem with her?" Ladybug snapped, defensive. 

"No, not at all. I just haven't heard that name in awhile." he said, looking up at the passing clouds.

"Oh. I didn't know you were familiar with her." Ladybug replied.

Chat fumbled, suddenly remembering that he was definitely _not_ supposed to know her besides talking to her a few times.

"I don't, I've just talked to her a few times. That's why I said I hadn't heard her name is all. Oh wait, since you seem to know her _so_ well, does she know you outside of the costume?" Chat said, changing the subject.

"Absolutely not!" Ladybug replied, taken aback. "Nobody knows who I really am. I only swing into her apartment sometimes and pick her brain about some things. Nothing for you to be concerned about." 

"Alright, Alright," Chat said, holding his hands up, surrendering. "You win. I'll let Adrien know who his new partner in crime is. And I'll make sure she gets the job. NOT that she needs my help or anything." 

"You better believe she doesn't need your help. I'll let Marinette know as well, she'll be applying later today. Also, she's majoring in Fashion Design, so the hours better not take up too much of her time. She's a very busy girl." 

"Yeah, yeah, you got it- just send me her class times. Adrien will get it done." 

"Great." Ladybug said, smiling. "I'll see you later Chat."

"Until we meet again, m'lady." Chat replied, bowing slightly. 

* * *

Marinette practically pounced on her desk chair, swiveling to face her computer screen. An exceptionally professional looking email sat in her inbox, reading,

" _Congratulations: Your application for a paid internship at_ Gabriel _has been accepted_ . _Please get back to us as soon as possible to confirm your acceptance. You will begin next Monday at approximately 9am. Please direct your attention to the Employee Page for office dress codes."_

Marinette groaned, her eyes zeroing in on the time. "9am? Seriously? Well, if it's for the investigation.."

 _"And I have to buy more office appropriate clothes.."_ Marinette thought.

She constructed an equally professional email and sent it to the company's email.

 _This should be interesting, and I'll be working with Adrien. Yup, definitely interesting._

She hadn't been in contact with Adrien since high school ended, which was preferable in Marinette's opinion. After Bunnix had shown her the broken future she had caused, Marinette made a strict point of not having any feelings (platonic OR romantic) towards boys, especially Adrien. She knew her feelings could lead to the complete destruction of the world, so she completely blocked them out. After that, she kept Adrien at an arms length, only keeping him close enough so he could consider her a friend. She wasn't bothered by this situation, she knew the moment she received her miraculous that she would have to make sacrifices for the greater good, even if no one ever knew about it.

Once high school had ended, her classmates had each gone off to their respective colleges, and Marinette had chosen a competitive fashion school in Paris. Even though there were schools she other parts of France she would've loved to go to, but anywhere besides Paris was out of the question. That's why Marinette was so eager to finally find and defeated Hawkmoth, she just wanted more freedom with her personal life. Don't get her wrong, she loved being Ladybug, but she had so many plans for her life that just wouldn't work out if she was still zipping through Paris daily. 

* * *

Marinette woke up at 6:00am to the sound of her alarm blaring in her ear.

 _Wonderful_. She thought, eyes stinging from her lack of sleep.

She rolled out of her bed, begrudgingly, as always, and walked over to her mirror.

She sighed as she studied her tired appearance, tugging at her eyes and rubbing her face to wake her up.

"First day at a fake internship. Wow, I _can't_ wait." 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for reading! new chapter will be posted within the next week or so


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